Bad meals are hard to find in St. Augustine, where local innkeepers and restaurateurs have a secret recipe for menus that keep customers coming back for seconds.

The secret is simple. They use the freshest ingredients, set the table for relaxed dining, and dream up inventive new takes on traditional favorites.

And although the city is the oldest in the United States, dating to the 1565 Spanish settlement of Florida, there's nothing old and stuffy about dining here. The city's eclectic restaurant scene fits a wide range of tastes and budgets with menus that do a deft dance between the simple and the sophisticated.

Steeped in Spanish heritage, the city's restaurants and inns offer menus that are flavored by Southern tradition as well as the multi-ethnic influences of its global citizens. All ports seem to lead to St. Augustine where no two meals are alike in this city that savors its creature comforts.

When in St. Augustine, prepare to pace yourself or put on the pounds. From breakfast to dinner, there is a savory or a sweet to satisfy even the pickiest eater.

The Inn on Charlotte (52 Charlotte St., 904-829-3819)

The gourmet two-course breakfast is reason enough to book one of the Inn's 8 well-appointed guest rooms. A sumptuous and delicious start to the day, the breakfast, which features a fruit course and an entree, is worth its weight in calories. Not to fret if there are dietary concerns, inn owner Lynne Fairfield will see that guests are accommodated.

"I did a lot of entertaining," said Fairfield, who considers it a huge compliment when people treat the Inn like a second home. "I like to take regular food and jazz it up, make it something special."

Fairfield, a hotel executive for years, has a flair for entertaining and it shows in her menus and her attention to the smallest details of guest comfort. Her innkeeper, Chris West, and assistant innkeeper, Rae Ann Couts, are like a small, silent and energetic army. Meals appear effortlessly, beautifully executed and plated on lovely traditional dinnerware.

A Typical Breakfast at Inn on Charlotte

* Fresh cantaloupe dressed with yogurt
* Savory sage sausage & Granny Smith apple quiche
* Tomato & grated cheddar salad
* Orange juice, coffee & tea

Bistro de Leon (12 Cathedral Place, 904-810-2100)

Fifth generation Lyonnaise chef-restaurateur Jean-Stephane Poinard and his wife, Valerie, are living examples of the French term: joie de vivre. They are passionate about cuisine and its integral part in daily life.

Bistro de Leon, the Paul Bocuse-mentored chef's sixth restaurant but first U.S. venture, is anchored in la cuisine des nos meres or mother's comfort food. It is both classic and contemporary, relying on the French chef's ingenuity and the very freshest of locally grown ingredients.

Poinard, who is a member of the elite Les Toques Blanches Lyonnaises, offers a daily prix fixe menu of three courses for $22. The Bistro is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, baking its bread fresh daily on premises. Entrees start at $15.95.

"Food is so sensual," the chef said. "You feel so good after a great meal."

An Exceptional Bread Pairing Experience

* Traditional French baguette paired with a delicate Asparagus cream soup.
* Savory Bacon bread served with a tomato stuffed with escargots flamed in absinthe with a garlic reduction
* Provencal black olive bread served with St. Augustine bouillabaisse & aioli crouton
* Walnut bread served with honeyed Brie wrapped in phyllo crust
* Richly decadent dark chocolate Molten Lava cake served with homemade ice cream or sorbet

Wife, Valerie, former Maitre de Chais for her family's winery in Domaine De la Fond-Moiroux, known for its superb Beaujolais, Brouilly and Gamay wines, brings her expert knowledge of wines to the Bistro, and is an essential ingredient herself in the smooth daily operations.